Ministry of Hajj and Umrah: Rice shipments to Saudi Arabia strengthen the Hajj logistics ecosystem
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah states that the shipment of Nusantara rice amounting to 2,280 tonnes to Saudi Arabia is part of strengthening the Hajj logistics ecosystem based on a national food supply.
‘This marks a breakthrough after years of waiting for Indonesian rice to be used for the consumption of Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia,’ said Jaenal Effendi, Director General for the Development of the Hajj and Umrah Economic Ecosystem (PE2HU) at Kemenhaj, in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The rice export is carried out by Perum Bulog as the technical implementer. The export volume is adjusted to the number of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims this year, around 205,420 people, including regular pilgrims and officers.
Bulog’s President Director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani reported that the exported rice is fresh harvest rice from West Java and Central Java, processed directly without going through old warehouse stocks.
Processing is conducted at four facilities, namely Wilmar’s factories in Serang and Mojokerto, and Bulog’s factories in Karawang and Subang.
‘The rice shipped has super premium quality, with a breakage rate below 5 percent and moisture content below 14 percent. This is the highest quality Bulog has ever produced,’ he said.
Minister of Agriculture and simultaneously Head of Bapanas Andi Amran Sulaiman expressed appreciation to Perum Bulog and farmers across Indonesia, as well as all stakeholders who have worked hard to achieve this.
‘Thanks to the hard work of all parties, Indonesia not only achieves self-sufficiency in rice by 2025, but today is also ready to export CBP-grade premium rice to meet the needs of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims,’ Amran said.
The Indonesian government emphasises that the success of achieving food self-sufficiency now enters a new phase and upgrades. Not only able to maintain national rice supply and stability, Indonesia through Bulog is releasing Befood Nusantara rice export containers to Saudi Arabia to meet the needs of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims in 2026.